LET THE ADVENTURE BEGIN

The calendar reflected the date as Thursday, April 14, 2016.  It was 5:30am when my cellphone alarm began ringing.  Today would be the first of a 22-day adventure that would include a 17-day transatlantic crossing from Houston to Barcelona aboard the Norwegian Jade.    

17-day Transatlantic itinerary on Norwegian Jade

Our first flight from Medford, Oregon was scheduled for 7:00am on Alaska Airlines.  With a change of airplanes in Seattle and a lengthy layover, we finally arrived safe and sound at Houston Bush International Airport at 4:35pm.   As always, I was very relieved to spot my luggage on the baggage claim carousel.  Nothing worse than starting a cruise without your clothes. 

After a phone call to QualitySuites Intercontinental Airport West and a very short wait curbside, the complimentary hotel van arrived.  This property carries a 4-star rating and our www.hotels.com double rate came to just under $80.  This included free wifi, airport shuttle and complimentary breakfast.  The van was also available for shuttles around the hotel area so I scheduled the van for 7:00pm transportation to Good Eats Grill for dinner.

The motto of Good EatsGrill is “Homemade food, Texas style”.   We arrived at 7:15pm and there was plenty of seating but it became quite crowded as the evening wore on.  The food was excellent, nicely presented and modestly priced with a menu that offered a wide variety of choices, including numerous beers and wines.   

Two weeks prior to our departure I contacted Super Shuttle and arranged for a 10-passenger van to shuttle us from our hotel to the cruise pier.   As a member of Cruise Critics I posted on the Jade roll call at www.cruisecritics.com that I had 6 seats available for the cruise pier transfer and within 24 hours had confirmed an additional six passengers, bringing our price down to $18.00 per person. 

Port of Houston Cruise Pier

Our sailing on the Norwegian Jade was scheduled for 4pm on April 15^th.  I arranged for our van to be at the hotel at 10:00am.  The driver and van arrived 15 minutes early.  Quickly and efficiently our luggage was loaded and we left for the Port of Houston.   The drive to the port can only be summed up in one word “boring”. During the 1 hour drive there is not much to look at except oil refineries.  

The Jade was built in 2006 and has a passenger capacity of 2,400.  We had less than 1,900 passengers for our sailing.  The April 15th sailing of the Norwegian Jade is the final sailing for Norwegian Cruise Lines out of the Port of Houston.  The Jade will return in October to it’s new home port of Tampa. 

Norwegian Jade

The boarding process was very efficient and easy.  As we entered the check-in area we were given a card indicating we would be in boarding GROUP 7.  We checked in with absolutely NO waiting lines, with the entire check-in process taking about 5 minutes.  After another 15 minute wait, GROUP 7 was called for boarding.  

Our cabin category was OX and we were assigned room 8100.  This was listed as an accessible room with partially obstructed view but we were pleased at both the size of the room and also with the views.  Just a small bottom portion of our window was obstructed by the top of the tender.  We felt we had a wonderful view.  

View from cabin 8100-Cat OX partially obstructed view

After a relaxed and enjoyable lunch in the dining room, we headed back to our cabin to find that our luggage had been delivered.  We spent the next hour unpacking and settling in.  After putting on our Mardi Gras beads we headed up to the Outdoor Café, deck 12 aft for our Houston sail away party where we met several of the 134 registered Cruise Critics onboard.

Grand Palace Dining Room on Norwegian Jade

We enjoyed a fantastic meal in the Grand Palace Dining Room before heading to the Stardust Theatre for the evening show. Then it was back to our cabin where we were greeted by one of the nightly towel animals created by our cabin steward.  This was also the first of 8 nights where we found the dreaded “SET YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD 1 HOUR TONIGHT” notice on our bed.   With the lights out and the gentle rocking of the ship, sleep came quickly.  
It’s always a good feeling to be on the ship and settled in on the first day.   
Now to relax and let the adventures begin.

SWEET TEA EXPRESS

Never heard of Sweet Tea Express?  Neither had I until a friend recommended I try their hamburger.  His words - “Best burger around.”  Located on Main Street in Medford, Oregon in the Blackbird parking lot, you might find yourself just driving right by it.  Next time, be sure and stop in.  You won't be sorry.  

The interior is relatively small with only 4-5 tables but they have just recently added plenty of outdoor seating, just in time for the summer season.   As I entered the front door I was surprised to see only 2 people working behind the counter.   Tanner, the enthusiastic young man at the grill, was a delight to watch as he methodically filled the stream of orders that came in. I opted for the Sweet Tea Burger special.  Made with 100% fresh ground chuck hand pressed daily, this bad boy is stacked high will fresh battered, deep fried Sweet Tea “onion straws” and bacon. Tanner was kind enough to divulge that the onion straws were made by slicing onions super thin and then soaking them overnight in their sweet tea mix before deep frying.  OMG!   You really need to try this one out. 

Owners Greg and Alex opened Sweet Tea Express in February 2014.  If the name Greg Cordova sounds familiar to you it’s because Greg has been in the restaurant business for over 30 years.  Opening the first Old Farm House Restaurant in 2009 the business quickly expanded to four serving 1,000 people a day and employing 47 employees at it’s peak. 

This newest venture is sure to be a hit.  Eat-in, take-out or have your event catered, Sweet Tea Express is open 8am-7pm for breakfast, lunch and BBQ.  If you are looking for some top quality meat by the pound, check them out. 

For more information check out their facebook page or website.  

SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, THE MUSICAL

I was expecting a re-run of the 1977 movie starring John Travolta, along with a nostalgic stroll down memory lane with a replay of the toe-tapping Bee Gee hits I had learned to love in my late 20’s.  Unfortunately, I found myself wanting to leave by intermission but ultimately decided to stick it out hoping the second half would be better. I don’t often give mediocre ratings but for this musical production last evening at the Craterian Theatre in Medford, Oregon I can only muster 5 out of 10 on my approval barometer.  

Despite the luke-warm vocal talent, well done backdrops and sets transport one from the graffiti covered streets and bridges of downtown Brooklyn in the 1970’s to the high energy, eye stimulating colors of the popular 2001 Odyssey disco. Transitions from set to set were handled quickly, quietly and with great precision. 

Even though this musical has been rewritten it still comes across as dark and gritty and I would not recommend this production for youth.  The theme of macho posturing combined with economic depression fuels drug abuse, gang rape, racial injustice, physical and verbal abuse and takes a look at life through the eyes of 19-year old Tony Manero, played by Matthew Baker. Living at home with an unemployed dad, an overly zealous religious mom and working a dead-end job at a local paint store, the only uplifting and gratifying thing in Tony’s life is dancing.   After meeting Stephanie, played by Danielle Marie Gonzales, they begin training for a dance contest which inspires hope and a new way of life for Tony.  

This 2.5 hour musical certainly contained some good segments and was broken into 2 acts with a 15 minute intermission.  Act I contained some of my very favorites including “Stayin’ Alive”, “Boogie Shoes”, “Disco Inferno”, “How Deep is Your Love”, “Jive Talkin’”, “If I Can’t Have You”, “Night Fever” and “You Should be Dancing”.  My critique has more to do with music tempo and vocal presentation.  For example – I felt “Jive Talkin’” tempo was too slow and the vocals of the 4 gang friends of Tony, Bobby, Joey, Double J and Gus, were not of the quality I had expected. 

Act II presented “Nights on Broadway”, “What Kind of Fool”, “Stuck”, “Open Sesame”, “More Than a Woman”, “Tragedy” and “Top of Your Game”.  A tragic death toward the end of the show would normally leave you feeling depressed but after bows are taken, the mood quickly switches to an energetic encore of singing, hand clapping and dancing and will definitely leave you with a smile on my face.  

For the complete theatrical history of this production, click here. 

THE OREGON CAVES

The Oregon Caves visitor center sits at 4,000 feet elevation in the Siskiyou Mountains of Southern Oregon and the caves themselves maintain a year-round temperature of only 44 degrees.  Located just 20 miles outside of Cave Junction, Oregon we meet up with friends from the Czech Republic for an afternoon visit to the caves, followed by an early dinner at Taylor’s Sausage Country Store.   If you haven't made a stop at Taylor's Sausage you owe it to yourself to do so.  Check out my review here.

 

The last 9 miles of the drive up to the caves is steep, quite narrow and extremely windy with several hairpin turns along the way, reducing your speed to 15-25mph. As we climbed higher and higher in elevation snow began to appear along the roadside and became deeper and deeper as we progressed up the mountain. 

After parking our vehicle we then hiked up to the Visitor Center which was about another 900 feet uphill from the parking area.  We found the center to be quite congested with several groups of folks waiting for their tour time to be called.  The center offers a Junior Ranger program and also has several interactive exhibits for learning about the history and formation of the caves as well as presenting lots of information on some of the local wildlife.  

Discovered by Elijah Davidson in 1874, the Oregon Caves experienced very few visitors for the first couple of decades but the popularity of the automobile, construction of paved highways, and promotion of tourism from nearby Grants Pass led to large increases in cave visitation during the late 1920s. Since it’s fledgling upstart visitors to the caves has increased from a mere 1,800 visitors in 1920 to a recorded 69,405 in 2014.  

Main entrance and beginning of the tour

 

Oregon Caves is a single system solution cave with known passages in excess of 15,000 feet.  The ½ mile route is mildly strenuous and requires negotiating more than 500 steep with uneven stairs and passageways with as little as 45 inches between floor and ceiling.  I could not recommended it for anyone with heart, lung, or mobility problems.  It also involves a total climb of 230 feet. You will also be able to view the only subterranean Wild and Scenic River in the U.S. — the River Styx  

Children less than 42 inches tall or who are unable to climb a set of test stairs are not allowed on the cave tour.  Mike is 75 and I am 66 and neither of us had difficulty with the tour but we are both in excellent health and good physical condition. Hint:  I took a very small LED flashlight with me and used it throughout most of the tour.  It proved to be very useful. Also having a heavy jacket with a hood helped keep the constant dripping water off my head. 

The caves are only open for a limited time throughout the year, beginning the third week of March and ending December 1st. Be sure to arrive early on the day of your visit as no reservations are accepted and tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis and no self-guided tours are permitted.

Click on this link for more visitor information to the Oregon Caves

GPS coordinates:  42°05′44″N 123°24′21″W

LAUGARVATN FONTANA GEOTHERMAL BATHS

The literal translation of Laugarvatn is “water to bathe in”.  Noted as a bathing place since the settlement of Iceland, Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths are a place where one can relax and revitalize the body.

Located on the beautiful Lake Laugarvatn, the geothermal baths are located about a 90 minute drive from downtown Reykjavik, Iceland.  Leaving our hotel at 6pm we arrived at Fontana just prior to dusk.  We were pleasantly surprised to see an inviting buffet dinner awaiting us. One of the items we came to enjoy was a local favorite of a delicious and nutritious rye bread that is   baked in the hot springs of Laugarvatn.   This bread tradition has been performed daily for decades. 

 

We relaxed with a glass of wine and let our minds and bodies slowly unwind as we enjoyed the local delicacies spread before us.  Wine was not included in our tour price and that came to about $10 US Dollars per glass. 

 

Next it was off to the locker rooms.  Each person is given a numbered locker key for storing your personal belongings.  After a quick shower I headed out to experience the much anticipated baths which all varied in depth, size and temperatures.  

After bouncing from bath to bath I decided I would head out through the gate to the beach and into the lake.  I could feel the warm black sand under my feet.  It is said that it has been shown to be beneficial for those suffering from arthritis and other joint illnesses.  Then it was into the lake and an opportunity to cool down, a temperature shift that is said to be both healthy and strengthening.  Then it was quickly back to the baths.  For some reason the surrounding snow mounds made my feet move quickly to the warmth of the thermal pools. 

After more than an hour bouncing between the various baths with different temperatures,  I felt it was time to experience the steam rooms.  Three steam rooms, collectively called “GUFAN” are built over a natural hot springs and have been in use since 1929.  The temperature of the steam will vary depending on the temperature of the hot springs and the current weather.  Temperatures will normally range from 40-50 degrees Celcius (90-120 degrees Fahrenheit). 

After trying the steam rooms it was into the Finnish-style sauna, called “YLUR”.   Temperatures here will range between 80-90 degrees Celcius (170-195 degrees Fahrenheit) and during daylight hours one can enjoy a scenic view from a large window that faces the lake.

Finally the time had come to head back to the locker room, take a quick shower, dress and head out to our bus for the return trip to Reykjavik.  We arrived back at the hotel just before midnight.   I felt totally refreshed and relaxed and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.  

Click here for more information on the Fontana Geothermal Baths.

COASTAL FIRST NATIONS DANCE FESTIVAL

On the 5^th of this month, while visiting a relative in Vancouver, BC, Canada, I attended the signature evening performance of the 9th annual Coastal First Nations Dance Festival presented by the Dancers of Damelahamid in conjunction with the UBC Museum of Anthropology. 

The UBC Museum of Anthropology was transformed into a stunning backdrop surrounded by totem poles reflecting the First Nations ancestral heritage.  The festival represented the celebration of the stories, songs and dances of the indigenous peoples of the northwest coast of North America, and presents the rich cultural traditions practiced by the various dance groups. It consisted of masks, dances, costumes and songs, reflecting each tribe’s traditional values as well as their cultural practices.

Dance performances included the Git Hoan (“people of the Salmon”), Yisya’winuxw (Kwakwaka’wakw dancers), Kwhlii Gibaygum (Nisga’a traditional performers) and the Dancers of Damelahamid (“paradise”).   All of the dancers displayed a pride of heritage sensed through their incredible blend of artistic movement and cultural expression. 

                                                       Photos by Mark Hoover and Steve Quinn

Also featured that evening was an excerpt of Flicker which very creatively highlighted some of the deeply held values of First Nations.  A Flicker is a woodpecker from the Northwest Coast that carries cultural significance.  Presented by two dancers who acted out as a pair of flickers in their coastal nature, they moved their ancestral connections forward, passing along their histories to younger generations to preserve and transmit their cultural heritage.

As I sat there I couldn’t help but be amazed at the complex and intricate mask artistry that was integrated into the dance performances.  The spiritual significance of the hand-crafted masks proved to be both fascinating and moving.    

There were a couple of the dances that I found especially enjoyable.  The first one was the “raven dance” performed by the Git Hoan, (people of the Salmon) from Southeast Alaska. Wearing raven masks they danced to the steady rhythm of the drums in honor of their raven clan. In Tsimshian mythology, the raven is symbolized as a cultural hero and as a trickster who helps the people, but because of his behavior also gets into trouble. 

The second one was the “killer whale dance”, in honor of the killer whale clan. The carved killer whale mask was animated during the highlight of the performance and strings are pulled by the dancer to move the mask open. When the strings are pulled, the whale’s face and mouth split down the center, revealing the ancestor’s face.

Public Domain

  
This was truly a enjoyable and enlightening evening. 

Public Domain

 

 Click here for more information about the Dancers of Damelahamid. 

WINEMAKERS DINNER

Right now you are probably asking yourself “What exactly is a Winemakers Dinner?” 

Last night I was fortunate to join friends at The Twisted Cork in Grants Pass, Oregon to experience their monthly Winemakers Dinner.  This elegant wine and food-pairing event fuses together the culinary talents of head chef Martha Fritz with one of the areas local wineries.

This five-course gourmet event started at 6pm and spotlighted Scott Steingraber and the wines from Kriselle Cellars of White City, Oregon.  Our first course featured a 2014 Sauvignon Blanc paired together with shrimp, grilled ruby red grapefruit and chili glaze.   Next came a 2013 S/CS paired with rigatoni,  roasted fennel and veal sausage.  The third course joined a 2013 Di’Tani with savory corn crème brulee and duck prosciutto.  The fourth course featured a 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon with Cuban roasted rack of pork.  And for dessert - a 2013 Malbec paired with a spicy dark chocolate cupcake with a berry-chili ganache filling topped with a chili cream cheese frosting.  It was truly heavenly. 

If you are looking for a premiere wine bar representing over 115 wineries from Oregon, Washington and California then check out The Twisted Cork.  

Kriselle Cellars are located at 12956 Modoc Road, White City, Oregon 97503, phone 541-830-8466.  You can also contact Scott Steingraber at scott@krisellecellars.com

The Twisted Cork is located at 210 SW 6th Street, Grants Pass OR 97526, phone 541-295-3094